Senior Spring

As I walked up the steps of Agassiz Theater on my way to performing in Ghungroo, I couldn’t help but think back to the first time I had been to the Ag: March of my junior year of high school. Five years ago. On my Harvard College admissions tour. I almost stopped out of disbelief that here I was, in the same place, five years later—but on the other end of everything. When I had first traipsed these steps, my mind was dancing with all of the possibilities of what could be if I got into Harvard. I remember learning about Ghungroo in the admissions presentation, and here I was, on my way to perform in it, as a senior at Harvard.

Not only did I feel incredibly old in this moment of realization, but I also felt a surge of panic. I only have three months left to do all of the things that come with being a Harvard student. So I did what any self-respecting Harvard student does when they realize they have a deadline coming up: make a to-do list. A senior spring bucket list, if you will. Some of the activities are Harvard-specific while others pertain to Cambridge/Boston/New England, but I hope to complete all of them by May 25th, 2017. And I hope you will too, by the time you graduate!

The first thing I could check off was:

Participate in some sort of dance or fashion show. Ghungroo, Expressions, Identities, Eleganza, you name it. This was my first year dancing in Ghungroo and it is one of my top five favorite things I’ve done at Harvard. Senior dance is #lit. Make sure you sign up quickly though—the spots fill up fast! Even if you decide not to be a dancer, at least go see the show, because it is amazingly colorful and high-energy!

Now, what else could I do before I have to graduate and be an “adult”?

Eat at Top of the Hub. I hear the view is beautiful up there, especially at nighttime. Actually, I know this is true because I’ve stalked enough “Happy 8 month Anniversary” Instagram posts taken here. Even if you don’t have an 8-month anniversary to celebrate, find another reason and treat yourself!

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Boston. Festivities begin as early as this weekend with Harpoon’s St. Patrick’s Festival!

Actually attend one of those events with a super cool world leader or celebrity, even though it may conflict with class or require you to wait in line for hours (lookin’ at you, Rihanna).

Make the trek out to Walden Pond and be Thoreau-ly impressed by the beauty of nature.

Going out to get a scorpion bowl at the Kong with my blockmates instead of just ordering scalpans to the room

Pull an all-nighter for fun (not for p-sets or midterms or thesis like usual)

Run some sort of race in Boston (could be a 5k, could be a marathon). Or just go running along the Charles River. Or walking.

Speaking of the river, it’s a great place to have a picnic! Once it is consistently over 60 degrees outside, that is. If you’ve already done a riverside picnic, level up and take your picnic to Boston Common.

Go see the Donkey Show. I’m not sure what this entails exactly, but I’ve heard good things.

Do work at the Boston Public Library- get out of the Harvard Bubble, or at least just Lamont!

Hit up Ben & Jerry’s at Garagebucks and order a Vermonster. It’s 20 scoops of ice cream and plenty of toppings so make sure you bring some friends to help you finish it all! Or at least make sure you’re really, really hungry for ice cream. We don’t judge.

Take a trip to the Cape for a weekend. Put that Zipcar membership to good use!

Felipe’s. Rooftop. Bar.

Climb the Bunker Hill monument at the end of the Freedom Trail! It’s only 294 steps, which will be great exercise the day after you polish off those Felipe’s margaritas and burrito from the night before.

Hang out at the Lawn on D (get your mind of the gutter!)

Stargaze, either in the Observatory on campus or at the Coit Observatory, which is open to the public every Wednesday night.

Drink 16 oz. of Boston’s best hard cider FOR FREE at Downeast Thursday thru Sunday. It’s a hike to get to this part of Boston, but for their cider, I’m sure it is so worth it.

Take a step back and appreciate the wonderful opportunity we’ve had to go to Harvard. Become nostalgic about literally everything. Then resume being a fun-seeking degenerate because #seniorspring.

Caroline Gentile ’17 ([email protected]) wrote this list as a procrastination tool to avoid writing her thesis.